Give Me A Reason
by SerenityVerdant
Summary: Kagome lives a different life now. She can't go home; everything is too different. Even with her heart being broken every other day, she stays. She has a mission she feels obligated to complete, plus she can't just leave the others behind. How long will she have to force her smile? How long will she have to watch as her love goes to hell? Not so perfect after all, is she?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

It seems that every young woman goes through a time where they feel depressed, alone, and unattractive. Some even go so far as to feel like there may be no point in continuing to live. Kagome Higurashi may have seemed like an exception to this rule, but the time still came. She lived most of her teenage life in a manner that most could only dream of. Blessed with the ability to move back in time to an era of demons, villages, and spiritual powers, Kagome seemed to live her life without the problems of the average teenage girl. She was overly kind, accepting, physically beautiful, and lovely in personality. She had a loving mother, a wonderful grandfather, an adorable little brother, and great friends in both lives that she lived. Though her schooling suffered greatly due to her continuous absences, it did not seem to bother her. One would wonder whether her choice to stay in the Feudal Era would become permanent. It'd be shocking if she chose otherwise. There she had Shippo, an adorable little fox demon that loved her like he would his mother. Miroku, a perverted monk who was obviously in love with her best friend Sango. Sango was kind, understanding, beautiful, and strong. And then there was Inuyasha, a white haired half demon that she had traveled with from the beginning. With these friends by her side, she has been able to cheat death, gain power, fight evil, make numerous friends, and even fall in love. Who could blame her? Inuyasha was strong and protective over her. They were constantly together and knew so much about each other, it would be shocking if she never developed feelings for him. She couldn't even deny it. Sango knew it. And Miroku easily figured it out. Kagome was in love with Inuyasha and would do anything she needed to, including die, to protect him. Nothing could stand in her way of that, at least for the most part. There was always Kikyo; Inuyasha's first love. She was so similar to Kagome in looks that they could be sisters. Kikyo was a little taller, had long silky black hair, and an expression that showed she had gone through hell and back again. This constantly caused Kagome problems. Kikyo was the only reason that Kagome's life with Inuyasha wasn't perfect. Kagome passed it off as nothing a lot of the time. She saw them together constantly and had her heart broken each time, but she always tried to be understanding. Kikyo had been there first, Kagome was from a different time completely, and even though Kikyo was technically dead it would not be easy just to push the love you felt for someone out of your heart, especially when it was so genuine. But even then... Even with Kagome desperately trying to move passed it, trying to understand, trying to accept what was going on and what had happened between Inuyasha and Kikyo, the heart of a young woman could only take so much...

At first it was just once or twice a month, then it was once a week, then twice a week, and now it was happening every other day. She couldn't figure out why she kept following him. She knew where he was going, what he was doing. She heard every line he had, every insult he could give. Why did she continue to follow? Did she really feel like something would change? Or was that just hope, a foolish hope. Nothing ever changed. No matter how kind she was to him. No matter how many times she smiled, hugged him, told him how she felt, how she'd always be there for him... Nothing changed. Yet, she kept going. She kept begging for him to stick up for her, but it never happened. Why would it? He never had the intelligence to realize she was there, or did he? Did he know? He was a half-demon after all, half dog demon at that. He could take one whiff of the air and realize she was only a few feet away from him. Was he really so stupid that he would not check and see if he was followed, especially with what he was doing. Unless he wanted to be caught. Was that the type of person he was? Did Inuyasha want to be caught being with Kikyo? Did he get some kind of thrill out of knowing Kagome was right there watching him, yet saying nothing to stop him? She didn't know. How could he not know she was there? He had to. He just didn't care, even though she cared so much. She didn't cry anymore either. She merely watched him with a cold expression and said nothing. It seemed she wasn't the only one who caught onto this routine either. As she stood there watching the scene unfold in front of her, a hand came to rest on her shoulder. She turned her head back towards the person, her expression cold and almost lifeless. It was Sango. Sango was crying for her. Kagome forced a weak smile and wiped the tears from Sango's eyes.

"It's okay..." Kagome said in a whisper, "Let's just get back to camp. He'll be back soon." That could have broken Sango if she had allowed it. She couldn't understand how Kagome could be so strong in this situation. How could she turn the other cheek when the man she loved was only a few feet away, making love to another woman. The sound of his grunts and groans were driving her insane. Hearing Kikyo moan was disgusting. "It's just not meant to be..." Kagome said, choking on her own words as she took Sango's hand and lead her back to camp. Sango forced herself to stop crying as they re-entered the camp. Miroku looked up to them with a worried and disappointed look. He knew what was going on. The only one that didn't was little Shippo, who was curled up next to a fully transformed Kilala. Sango went to sit next to Miroku and both looked up to Kagome. She just stood there, dazed. She was watching the little fox demon sleep. That always made her smile. He kept her going, knowing that he was safe and that he loved her is what kept her going now. "Let's all get some sleep. He'll return in the morning and we'll continue looking for the jewel shards..." Kagome said in a strained whisper as she sat down and leaned her back against the trunk of a tree. "Don't let this bother you guys... We have a mission. We're going to finish our mission and then we can let this bother us. Until then, we will all travel together, work together, and survive together..." Kagome laid her head back into the trunk and closed her eyes. She took in a deep breath, her chest slowly rising with it, and then let that breath out, her chest slowly lowering with it. She fell asleep. The mentally and emotionally exhausted Kagome fell asleep without another word. For her, there was nothing more to say. There was nothing more she could say. She felt obligated to be there, obligated to be by Sango's side, by Shippo's side, by Miroku's side, and even by Inuyasha's side. At this point it was all she knew. Kagome's life had changed so drastically. Her grades her in her time were horrid; she was failing every class. Her friends assumed she was constantly sick; to them she might as well be dead. Sure, she had her Mother, Brother, and Grandfather and she loved them dearly, but she now had a son. She had Sango and Miroku. She couldn't just leave them. And beyond that, what she knew now was battle, death, demons, killers, and her powers as a priestess. The difference between both worlds was too dramatic a change. She could never recover her life and she knew that. No matter how much she wanted to go back, she couldn't. Her heart, her mind, and her soul were all here in the Feudal Era. That was that and nothing could change it.

Inuyasha came into camp about ten minutes later. Apparently he was done. "Already?" Sango muttered under her breath. Miroku couldn't help but chuckle at the comment. "Well you can't blame me... Didn't take him long at all. What a waste." Sango muttered quietly again. "You got something to say!?" Inuyasha's keen ears picked up everything that Sango had quietly muttered. "Oh yeah... Forgot the mutt could hear." Sango said clearly and glared up to Inuyasha from her spot on the ground. She had been close to falling to sleep when he decided to return from his night with Kikyo. "Just go to bed." she told him, "We have to get going in the morning, unless you're wanting to lose Naraku's trail." Sango turned away from Inuyasha and closed her eyes. She was disgusted with him. Miroku followed her lead and turned away as well after glaring at Inuyasha for a moment. Inuyasha glared at them. He was actually completely unaware of how much they knew, how much they saw, and he was also unaware of how much Kagome was suffering. She hid it so well in front of him and when he and Kikyo were having their fun he never sensed her. He never saw her and he couldn't hear or smell her. His ignorance to the situation was rather high for someone with his keen senses. And because of this, he went on completely unaware of how much he was hurting all of his friends, especially Kagome. And now, he went to sleep along side his friends, the people who were currently the most fed up with him and everything he did.

End Of Chapter One

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The next morning came with the sounds of chirping birds and the sun beaming down through the cracks in the trees. It couldn't have been more peaceful. There was a small breeze that moved through the forest they were sleeping in. The first awake was the cheerful little fox demon. He was full of energy like always and did not hesitate to jump into Kagome's lap and wake her up. She yawned as she woke up and turned her attention to the little ball of energy in her lap. She placed a kiss on his forehead and looked around. As she thought, Inuyasha was there. He always came back. That fact made her feel better. Even if he was constantly sneaking off to be with Kikyo, he always came back to them, to her. That is what she had convinced herself. Kagome sat up fully and Shippo went back over to Kilala. It was time for them to get moving. She woke Sango up first, then Miroku, then went to Inuyasha. She was gentle as always, smiling to him when his eyes opened to meet hers. "Time to wake up... If we don't get moving soon, we might lose him." Kagome told him. Inuyasha casually stretched his arms and back, opening his mouth and yawning. "Alright, Kagome." Inuyasha jumped to his feet as if he was fully refreshed. He had a smile on his face, picked up his Tetsusaiga, and was ready to go. Sango and Miroku quickly joined and now everything was back to normal. Everyone just pushed their emotions aside. No one confronted him. It had been going on for about six months now, why would they suddenly want to confront him on it? Sango and Miroku also understood that if he was to be confronted it should be by Kagome, not them. Shippo being there also prevented them from saying anything. He was too innocent, too young. They did not want to corrupt his sweet mind with the foulness of their situation. Some things a child just did not need to know. And so everything was normal.

They were heading West, just barely crossing the borders into the Western Lands. Inuyasha knew the dangers would increase when being in the territory of his older brother, Sesshomaru. He warned them about it days ago. They did not care. If they were forced to fight his brother, then that would happen. Naraku must be found, he must be killed. They were not to allow Sesshomaru's hatred for Inuyasha to get in the way. They all walked with their heads held high, though Miroku and Sango kept behind Inuyasha and Kagome. Sango was depressed and was not hiding it. Miroku knew why and so did Kagome. There was nothing that they could do at the moment without letting things be known. Kagome glanced back as they walked along the dirt path and saw the saddened look on Sango's face. Kagome couldn't stand her being like that, even though she understood why. Kagome stepped back and let Inuyasha walk in front. "Sango..." she whispered to her with a forced smile, "Cheer up okay... We're in the Western Lands now. We'll find your brother, defeat Naraku, and get the jewel shards! Everything will be great once we're done." Kagome's optimism was astounding, though a facade Sango could easily see through. "I know, Kagome... It's just..." Sango glanced up to Inuyasha and Miroku. The both of them were looking to her, so she had to be careful with her words, "Once everything is done, Kagome... Once Naraku is killed and we can all finally live our lives... What will you do? Where will you go? I can't see you staying here..."

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha smiled widely, walking backwards with his arms crossed along his chest. He was a little too confident in his relationship with Kagome at the moment. It was his ignorance that allowed this. Him not knowing that Kagome had seen everything was allowing this to continue. "Kagome's not going anywhere! Once the jewel is complete, she'll live back in Kaede's village with us!" Every one of them, excluding Shippo who was playing with Kilala's fur, stared at Inuyasha with blank expressions. None of them knew how to reply. Could he really believe that Kagome would live the rest of her life with him sneaking off to be with Kikyo? A fool is what he was. "What?! Why are you all looking at me like that!?" Inuyasha asked, scowling at them. Miroku and Sango just glanced over to Kagome. She looked back to them and then looked away, letting out a low sigh. "I don't know what I'm going to do yet... I'll figure it out when the time comes!" Kagome groaned at them, stomping her feet, and walking faster to get ahead of them all. She was doing her best to act normal, to avoid confrontation with Inuyasha about what he had been doing. It was getting harder and it seemed Sango was getting sick of it. Kagome knew that her asking that question so boldly in front of Inuyasha was Sango's way of hinting at her confronting Inuyasha about Kikyo. It wasn't something that she felt she could deal with. She knew that argument would bring out too much and likely force them all to split up. She didn't want that. And even if it hurt, she decided a long time ago that she only wanted to be by his side. She told him that the first time she ran off from him being with Kikyo and came back. How could she go back on her word now?

Everyone got quiet, excluding a few random comments from the young fox demon. "Um... What's that?" Shippo said, but everyone was too distracted to pay attention. They were all stuck in their own thoughts. Kagome was trying to suppress the feelings that were once again raised by questions she had yet to answer. Sango was stuck thinking about losing her friend, while Miroku was worried for the woman he loved. Inuyasha was just stuck in his own little fantasy about meeting Kikyo for the millionth time. Shippo asked the question again, but a little louder and still there was no answer. "Look out!" Shippo yelled and everyone's eyes suddenly widened, coming back into reality. A bright orange light came shooting from behind them. Kilala quickly got Shippo, Miroku, and Sango out of the way, while Inuyasha jumped in front of Kagome, covering her body and using the power of the Cloak of the Fire Rat to prevent either of them from getting burned. "What the hell!?" Inuyasha waved his arm towards a few flames that lingers and glared towards the attacker. A man with short black hair, red cat-like eyes, and the Crescent Moon Crest on his shoulder. "Inuyasha! Younger half brother of Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands, you are not welcome here!" the man yelled, though he sounded upset with the words he was speaking, "You were banished years ago! You must leave. You and your friends must go!" The demands of the demon man before them went through one ear and out the other when it came to Inuyasha. "Look Kasai! I have business with someone who has entered these lands. I'm not going anywhere." Inuyasha told the man, reaching for the hilt of his Tetsusaiga and ready to unsheathe it. "If that is the case, I will be forced to kill you!" Kasai of the Western Lands held out a staff he held. "You know him!?" Sango asked, but was quickly ignored.

"Bring it on!" Inuyasha yelled as he unsheathed his Tetsusaiga and charged Kasai. He quickly reverted to the Wind Scar and sent the attack towards Kasai. Kasai dodged it by jumping into the air, allowing the Wind Scar to move under him as he moved towards Inuyasha. He brought his staff upwards and then swung it down towards Inuyasha with a lot of strength behind it. Inuyasha brought the Tetsusaiga up and blocked it easily. He used Tetsusaiga to push Kasai back. The moment Kasai landed, he shot out another blast of flames towards Inuyasha from the top of his staff. Inuyasha jumped into the air and over the blast of flames. As Inuyasha went to attack, he was unaware of the path of flames. "Kagome!" Sango yelled as she flew on Kilala's back and grabbed Kagome, pulling her out of the way of the attack. "Watch where you're shooting those flames Kasai!" Inuyasha yelled in anger as he came down with an strong swing of his blade. Kasai said nothing and brought his staff upwards in a harsh swing to parry Inuyasha's attack. The parry pushed Inuyasha back a few feet, causing him to slide backwards a bit and use his Tetsusaiga to stop him from being forced back further. "Ahh!" a strong battle cry came from Sango as she raised her Hiraikotsu and threw it towards Kasai's mid section. Kasai immediately responded by jumping up out of the way, but allowing Inuyasha to charge forward and swing the tip of Tetsusaiga across his chest. The blade easily went through his armor and cut his chest open. "I see you've learned a bit of teamwork..." Kasai placed his hand on his chest and wiped the blood away, "Impressi-.."

_BANG!_

Sango's Hiraikotsu came back and slammed into the side of Kasai's head, causing him to fall to the ground with a loud _thud._ Sango raised her hand and caught her oversized boomerang with the ease of a master. "Nice one Sango!" Inuyasha said with a smile as he complimented his friend. "Uh'huh." Sango replied in annoyance and walked back over to Kilala and the others. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at the attitude he had just been given and looked back to Kasai who was returning to his feet. "I can't say I saw that coming. A Demon Slayer? You've aligned yourself with a Demon Slayer?" Kasai asked Inuyasha as he rubbed the side of his head. "And? What of it?" Inuyasha replied with a glare. Kasai sighed and shook his head. It was a little odd to hear that a demon, whether full or half-breed, was aligning himself with one who dedicated their entire life to killing his kind. It wasn't something that you saw every day. "Before this fight continues..." Kagome stepped forward to speak and looked towards Kasai, "I understand that you're loyal to Sesshomaru. That part is obvious, but if you are, you should understand that our mission here is to defeat the same demon that Sesshomaru also wishes to take down. Our knowledge of his enemy is vast and can definitely aid him. Will you not allow us to pass if it will aid your Lord in the long run?" Kagome spoke out in a more distinguished manner than one would be used to hearing from her. "Kagome..." Inuyasha looked at her confused and slightly shocked at her tone. "We plan to leave these lands the moment our mission is over and we will not return, but for now our mission and your Lord's mission... are intertwined. We can help." Everyone, including Kasai, stared at Kagome in shock. They were all silent for a moment, Kasai contemplating her little speech while the others were wondering how he would reply.

"I do see your point, but why would a Demon such as myself and my Lord listen to some human wench?" Kasai glared at her, narrowing his eyes as if he were testing her, seeing what her reaction would be. She stayed calm, uncaring to the words he used when describing her, ignoring his prejudice against humans. "Very well..." Kasai seemed to give in, but what he said next shocked them all, "The only way to get this approved is by you meeting with Lord Sesshomaru himself. He is to return to the castle in two days. You will meet with him then." Inuyasha and the rest did not like that idea at all. That would put them too far behind schedule. "What!? No! We're not going to go see him! If he has a problem with it, tell _your Lord_ to come find us... Otherwise, stay out of our way!" Inuyasha told him. That wasn't an answer that Kasai was going to just let slide. Kasai once again went on the attack, causing Inuyasha to block. Their weapons met and they froze their in locked combat, trying to push the other back, but neither budging. "You insolent young man!" Kasai yelled at him, "Why are you so stubborn!? You've been like this sense you were a child! I cannot and will not allow you to pass. Either turn around now or face fighting me!" Inuyasha just smirked at his statement. Of course he'd fight. That's really all he seemed to want to do in the first place, fight. "Fine by me!" Inuyasha said and forced Kasai back. Before he was able to get off another attack, Kasai went on full offensive and shoved the tip of his staff into Inuyasha's chest. Blood splattered everywhere. No one saw that coming. "Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed for him as the staff was removed from his chest. Kagome ran towards him, pulling her bow off her shoulder and bringing an arrow forward to notch into her weapon.

"Stay back!" Inuyasha yelled and pushed himself back to his feet, "He's mine..." Inuaysha said and Kagome stopped a good fifteen feet away from Inuyasha. Inuyasha smiled and readied his Tetsusaiga to attack. He charged forward and rapidly swung his Tetsusaiga multiple times, attacking in quick succession. Kasai was able to block them all, but that did not stop Inuyasha from releasing a Wind Scar at close range. Kasai had no time to attack as the bright lighted attack shot towards him, overtaking his entire body. Kasai once again forced himself to his feet. He raised his staff into the air and began twirling it, collecting energy at the top. Soon it began to glow bright orange. Inuyasha could instantly tell that the next attack was going to be massive. "RAGING FLAME: DRAGON'S BREATH!" Kasai yelled as he took his staff in both hands. Inuyasha got ready for the attack. Kasai brought the staff down in a strong swing towards Inuyasha. An immense burst of flames that could take out a nice chunk of the forest erupted forward. Inuyasha smirked, knowing his cloak would protect him from the attack. The flames hit Inuyasha and completely enveloped him. "KAGOME RUN!" Miroku shouted when he realized that the flames were now targeting Kagome. There was no way for her to dodge it. Her eyes widened as the flames threatened to burn her alive. She screamed in horror and turned away to run as her body was completely taken over, but the pain never came. Her eyes widened when she realized that the flames couldn't get to her. Some sort of barrier was surrounding her. After a few moments the flames dissipated. Her eyes quickly met the source of her savior. _"Kikyo..."_ she thought as she saw the girl that could be called her twin standing in between two trees. _"But why would she..."_

End Of Chapter Two


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